Motherdough

Another regular weekly stop at the Wychwood Barns Farmer’s Market (previously: Chocosol, Clover Roads Organic Farm and Alchemy Pickle Company) was Motherdough Mill and Bakery, run by Carole Ferrari (info@motherdoughto.com). I got at least one baked good—usually two—pretty much every week for the last I don’t know how many years. The markets may be closed but Motherdough is still cooking, and even delivering. Highly recommended. This is great baking.

The black bean empanada is a classic. Here is one untouched.

Motherdough empanada closed

And here I slice into its delicious inside and discover some sweet potato this week. It goes really well with some Alchemy Pickle hot sauce.

Motherdough empanada open

That was actually last week, when I got another lockdown order from Motherdough, including six empanadas. They’re all gone now.

A regular Wychwood Barns purchase was one or two of the small savoury open-faced tarts with mushroom and onions and such. A small one is a nice dinner for one with some salad, or you can get a large that will serve four. Sometimes if I was having guests for dinner I’d order a couple large tarts by email and pick them up at the market.

This is a large one. The pastry on this is amazing.

Large Motherdough tart

All the pastry is amazing. Carole Ferrari mills the grain by hand to make her own flour! She gets the wheat from Ontario organic farms. She sells the flour, and if you order it she’ll mill it the day before you get it (probably at 3 am, which is when she starts baking, she once told me; I shuddered, having woken up half an hour earlier and ambled over without a care on my mind).

A couple of weeks ago I got a “beet Wellington;” inside were beets and quinoa and other veg. It was delicious. “Serves four,” she said, but really it could do six.

Motherdough beet wellington

This is the multigrain levain. It’s so good, and even better toasted.

Motherdough multigrain levain

It’s only since the market closed and I’ve been ordering by email that I discovered the incredible cabbage, potato, celery root, onion and cheddar pie. Here’s one as it arrived:

Motherdough cabbage pie, closed

And here it is after I took a slice out:

Motherdough cabbage pie, open

It’s like a quiche, but denser—though not heavy. The order before last I got one, and last week I got two, one of which I ate immediately (that is, over three days); the other is frozen and I’ll get to it next week. These things are delicious and nutritious.

As with all the Wychwood Barns market vendors, I’d rather things were the way they were earlier, when I’d go over and see them and buy stuff in person. But that’s gone, and won’t be back for a while. Carole Ferrari and Motherdough are bringing the same delicious food right to my home, though. If you’re in Toronto, get in touch and try out her baking, especially that cabbage and celery root pie. Everything’s delicious, but that pastry—oh my.